Bailey Matthews was born into rodeo. Since she started riding and being involved with rodeo at a young age, she doesn’t remember a time without it. The oldest daughter of Daryl and Misty Matthews of Athens, TN, Bailey is a breakaway roper like her younger sister Kyla. Her dad calf ropes, her mom has calf roped (and barrel raced), and their whole family shares a love and talent for the sport.
Unlike her sister, Bailey wasn’t so interested in roping when she was younger. She competed in barrel racing at rodeos until she was 12, and then decided the roping held some appeal after all. Even as a child getting started, Bailey liked to throw a rope fast. Her family would tease her that she never made it to the green gate they had in their arena because she’d always throw after her first two swings, to which she’d reply, “It’s a timed event–you can’t win anything at the other end!”
That speed carried her through her high school rodeo career competing in the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA) and the National Cowboy Association (NCA). Her dad also instilled a great foundation in them and passed along his skill for reading the start. At the time Bailey was entering, her sister Kyla wasn’t entering those rodeos but her dad was, so Bailey got that extra quality time with him–and of course, the job of taking over driving to the rodeos when she turned 15. During those years, Bailey rode a family favorite horse named Blue. Blue was a roan mare that her dad and the rest of the family also competed on. This talented mare would do most anything–calf roping, team roping, goat tying, pole bending, etc.
When it came time for college, Bailey started at the University of West Alabama, and then transferred to East Mississippi where she was a member of their rodeo team for two years. While breakaway roping was her main focus during her time on the team, her coach would sometimes enter her in the barrel racing as well.
After years of college rodeoing, Bailey took a break from roping from 2016 until 2022 when she decided to pick it up again. Since she got back into it, she has discovered a newfound passion for it, and is having so much fun just enjoying the process.
If you ask her what her favorite rope is, she’ll tell you “Whatever my sister gives me!” (normally a Dub Grant) a true testament to their bond, as is her statement that she is so proud of her sister and all her accomplishments and so eager to see what she will accomplish next.
Her dad and mom have also been a part of renewing that passion, as has her fiancee, and her best friend and Director of Breakaway Roping for the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA) Jamie Ellsworth.
Jamie encouraged Bailey to ride her horse Bones, and when Bailey finally consented, she fell in love with the horse and begged Jamie to sell him to her. Jamie did, and Bailey and Bones have formed a great partnership as they compete together in the SRA and the NCA.
Today, Bailey lives in Cowpens, South Carolina, and operates her hair salon in downtown Greenville, SC, known as Blonde by Bailey. A blonding and hair extension specialist, Bailey has grown her business into a thriving, high-demand salon, with members of the rodeo community and others who appreciate her hairstyling ability driving several hours for an appointment with her.
Her fiancee, JD Young, is a team roper, and Bailey is still very much immersed in the rodeo world although her perspective on it has changed. She is not currently practicing nonstop or setting a series of achievement based goals for the year. Instead, she is just enjoying it, and being thankful for the success she is having with it.
Her gratitude extends to God and back to her family, especially her parents, without whom none of this would be possible.
After just getting back into it, Bailey has already qualified for the SRA finals once, and this year is sure to hold more great successes and great memories.
You can learn more about Bailey’s family through the upcoming stories on her dad, Daryl Matthews, her mom, Misty Matthews, and her sister, Kyla Matthews.
all credit to respective photographers.
